Improvement in cotton-presses



UNITED STATES PATENT Erice.

TIIMON GILBERT, OF NATCHEZ, llllSSISSPPl.

\ IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 81,967, dated April 9, 1861.

that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure il is a vertical longitudinal section v through the middle of the improved cottonpress. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the press-box in a horizontal plane indicated by the red line w x in Fig. 1.

y Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

` A is the floor or base, and B B B B are four perpendicular posts which are firmly secured thereto. These posts are firmly braced and tied together with the timbers c a c a.

Between the cross-timbers a a, within the frame composed of postsB B, is a press-box, C, which is made in the usual strong manner, so as to withstand the lateral pressure which takes place in the operation of pressing'the cotton. Above this press-box C is another press-box, C, the sides of which are hinged at the `corners of the boX, and a suitable spring-latch is used to secure the sides of this boX G together while the pressing takes place, as the cotton is all forced up by the follower within this latter boX,where the pressed bale can be bound, and from which the bale can be removed after it is pressed and bound.

Above the box C is a sliding head-block, D, which may be moved out of the way in filling the press with cotton or for removing the pressed bale, so as to give more space to work in frame B B, which is held down firmly by theM ties c a against upward pressure.

Near the bottom of the frame B B, and eX- tending in a longitudinal direction through this frame, is ahorizontal beam, G,which is securely supported in its horizontal position by the cross-ties b b and the two bracing-rods c c. A deep channel is formed through the middle of the upper surface of the beam G from end to end of this beam', which channel is intended to serve as a guide for the rack--bar F, that is madeto slide in a direction with its length back and forth by wheel-work, which will be hereinafter described.

H I-I are two strong bars, the ends of which are hinged, respectively, at equal distances apart to one end of the sliding rack-bar F and to the under side of the follower I, as shown in Fig. l. The two bars H H will thus preserve their parallelism as the rack-bar F is moved back and forth on beam G, and this horizontal motion of the rack-barF will cause the follower I to rise and fall in a horizontal plane and in a line perpendicular to the bar F." The follower-block I has two frictionrollers, e c, projecting slightly from one end,

which prevent this end from rubbing on the side of the box C. It is found necessary to use these friction-rollers c eas above described, as the power which is applied to the follower to raise it is in an oblique direction, or in a direction with the length of the parallel bars H H, which do not stand in a perpendicular position until the follower is at its highest point in box G. These rollers c c, therefore, prevent the bars II H from forcing the end of the follower hard against the side of the pressbox C, which would have the effect of wedging the follower tightly between the sides of this box.

J is a horizontal shaft which has its 'bearings in the blocks g y, and h isa pinion spun wheel which is keyed to shaft J, the teeth of which engage with the teeth of rack-bar E.

.kf is a large spur-wheel which is keyed to one end of shaft J. The teeth of this wheel k enl gage with a spur-pinion, l, which is keyed to one end of the driving-shaft m, whichlatter shaft has its bearings in two blocks, g g', as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. ing-shaft m carries on its opposite end to that carrying the pinionZ a belt-wheel, N, which receives its motion from the steam-engine.

The wheel N may be attached to its shaft by v a suitable clutch, so that it can be engaged or The drivdisengaged with its shaft, and thus the motion of the follower I may be stopped at pleasure.

The operation of the entire machine is as follows: The cotton which is to be pressed and made up into abale is put into the box C when the follower I is in the position represent-ed in Fig. I. The sides forming box C are then brought together and securely bolted,thehead block D being placed in a position to cover the box C. The wheel-gearing is now rotated in the direction indicated in Fig. l by the arrows, and the rack-bar F is moved up toward the gearing, as indicated by the arrow over bar F in Fig. l, carrying with it the lower ends of bars H H and forcing the follower I upward in the box C with a gradually-increasing power. This movement is continued until the bars H H stand perpendicular to the rack-bar F, when the follower will be at its highest point and all the cotton which was put into the boxC will have been compressed within the box C. At this pointin the oper- -to iill the box G to repeat the operation of pressing. l

The box C, into which the cotton is at vfirst put, is made very deep in order to hold a large quantity of cotton, and it is necessary to make an opening, y, in one side of this box to allow the bars HH to work through this side, as is shown in Fig. l.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 4 rIlhe arrangement of the sliding rack F and hinged bars H H with each other, and with the follower I and gearing h k Z, all in the manner 

